Rank star on absorption of beta shift (9)
I believe the answer is:
subaltern
'rank' is the definition.
Both the definition and answer are adjectives. Perhaps they are linked in a way I don't understand?
'star on absorption of beta shift' is the wordplay.
'star' becomes 'sun' (the Sun is a star).
'on' means one lot of letters goes inside another (as in clothing 'on' a person).
'absorption of beta' becomes 'b' (I can't explain this - if you can you should give a lot more credence to this answer).
'shift' becomes 'alter' (I've seen this before).
'b'+'alter'='balter'
'sun' enclosing 'balter' is 'SUBALTERN'.
Can you help me to learn more?
(Other definitions for subaltern that I've seen before include "Junior officer" , "Lesser official" , "Army officer below the rank of captain" .)